Episode 46: Current issues in the elections space
RO pod: Talking about governance of registered organisationsShow Notes
Registered organisations and branches need to lodge prescribed information with the Fair Work Commission at least two months before your rules say nominations are open. The election is then conducted by the Australian Election Commission (AEC) unless the branch holds an exemption. There has been a disruption to election cycles over the past few years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the AEC being unable to conduct elections for a period of time. In this episode, we discuss what you must do if your rules say that an election is due to be held, whether or not you've had a missed or delayed election, and how you can resynchronise your election cycles. We also look at other current issues that we are seeing with industrial elections that organisations should be aware of.
More from RO pod: Talking about governance of registered organisations
The Model Rules are designed to make drafting rules easier for registered organisations. They include plain-language guidance, annotations, and practical examples to help organisations modernise their rule books and strengthen governance.
An important part of the Fair Work Commission's regulatory approach is to listen to and learn from stakeholders in our registered organisations community. In this episode, we invited Tom Lynch, the Federal President of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), to share his perspective on what good governance looks like in his organisation.
Members, officers and employees of registered organisations can report a concern about their registered organisation to the Fair Work Commission. However, registered organisations are encouraged to develop and implement a formal whistleblower policy to assist them to investigate and address concerns reported directly to them.
Registered organisations can use our 2024 compliance snapshot to understand their own achievements and priorities and monitor their own performance against other organisations.
Whistleblowers have the right to disclose a concern without reprisal under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 (the RO Act). However, not all disclosures are protected.